


A Little Fall of Rain

by TheFreeJoker42



Series: Metsubojinrai.fam [10]
Category: Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Poison, delirious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29723013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFreeJoker42/pseuds/TheFreeJoker42
Summary: Prompt: Horobi was poisoned and Ikazuchi had to take care of him while Jin and Naki went to find an antidote.
Series: Metsubojinrai.fam [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607857
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	A Little Fall of Rain

Ikazuchi didn’t remember what they were talking about. Well, he might have done if he’d tried, but it wasn’t important. Horobi seemed perfectly fine, conversing as he always did, a little restricted and afraid to emote, so perhaps fine wasn’t the right word, but it was normal, nothing extra to worry about. At least that’s what Ikazuchi told himself. Perhaps there was some kind of hint of something not being quite right, something he’d missed. He always tried to be even more attentive than usual when it came to Horobi, knowing he’d never openly voice if he wasn’t feeling well, especially now, and even when he did, he didn’t know how to explain it, so why would he? 

He did notice Horobi was starting to get tired, but he was always plagued with a degree of fatigue, for as long as Ikazuchi had known him, and it had only gotten worse recently, so as much as Ikazuchi had been watching him carefully, and he was prepared to urge him to rest if he needed to, again it was nothing out of the ordinary, he was still, for all intents and purposes, fine. 

And then he collapsed. 

Ikazuchi didn’t know exactly what was going on, people kept calling him with updates as tests were run and decisions were made, but it never stuck. Certain samples had been sent to Bot, and Naki and Jin had left in search of an antidote. It was something weird, something partially mechanical and partially biological, he didn’t really know. Ikazuchi was just stuck in this one moment, and nothing was pulling him out of it. 

Horobi was in bed with several blankets, but nothing would stop him from shivering. Ikazuchi gently lifted him to slip another thick, fluffed pillow under his head, keeping a hand in his hair as he settled. 

“That better?” 

Horobi simply nodded. Trying to speak was draining so much energy from him, and he had to really force the words out, so Ikazuchi urged him to try and avoid it where necessary. 

“Do you need anything else? Anything at all, I’ll get it for you. I’ll, I’ll raid all the shops I know for blankets, I’ll track down one of those fabric things with the beans you microwave, _anything_.” 

“Just… sit with me?” Horobi’s voice was so soft that even Ikazuchi had to strain to hear it. 

“Is that all you want?” 

“You’re more than enough.” 

“Okay, well, I’m here, I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.” 

He should have been used to it by now, but it didn’t get any easier, looking after Horobi, trying to push away that deep set fear that this time, it was too much, that it had gone too far, that there was no turning it around. That this was it. Every time Horobi blinked for a little too long, Ikazuchi felt it, that horrible, nauseating pain in his chest that he just wanted to rip out. 

He prepared for everything he said to Horobi to be the last. But he had to be strong, he couldn’t let _Horobi_ think that. Inwardly, he might have been preparing for the end, but on the outside, he had to be confident that everything would be okay. 

He held Horobi’s cold, trembling hand, Horobi’s fingers twitching as he tried to match Ikazuchi’s grip, while stroking his hair with the other. 

“Are you comfortable?” 

“I’m comfortable.” Horobi strained, though he was visibly pale and shivering and even his lips looked cracked. There was no way he was really comfortable like this, but of course he’d say that. Horobi’s blinks were getting slower and more sluggish with every second that passed, and Ikazuchi was getting more and more anxious. Bot had given him strict instructions to not let Horobi sleep, that if he did, there was no guarantee they’d be able to wake him again. 

He never had any problems talking to Horobi before, he was used to sitting with him for what he intended to only be a few minutes only for hours to have passed. But now, he couldn’t think of a single thing to talk about- 

“How’s Subaru?” 

Ikazuchi blinked. “Hm? Subaru? He’s… He’s doing fine.” 

“That’s good. You’re such a good teacher. You should be proud of yourself.” 

“Of myself?” 

“You’re a wonderful role model. I know you didn’t have the best start in life, and I’m so sorry, but despite that, you were still able to… influence your little brother into becoming… such a delightful young HumaGear.”

“Well, that’s because no humans can interfere when we’re alone in space.” He laughed. “Besides, I had a perfectly good start in life. I had you, didn’t I?” 

A small smile started to tug at Horobi’s lips, before he winced, immediately gaining Ikazuchi’s attention. 

“Horobi? What is it, what hurts?” 

“My head.” 

“Okay, let’s… let’s not talk so much, okay? Let’s just focus on resting.” 

Horobi shook his head. “I’m fine. Tell me more. How are you adjusting? It must be strange running your own satellite.” 

“Ah, it’s… different, but it’s a good different. It’s more… comforting having a satellite that _we_ designed.” 

“I’m very… proud of the… two of you… for that…” Horobi’s breathing was starting to grow more laboured, and Ikazuchi squeezed his hand. 

“I know. You’re _always_ proud of us. No matter what we do.” Ikazuchi absentmindedly stroked Horobi’s loose hair, in rhythm to the pattering of rain outside. 

“Don’t you love when it rains, and you can hear it patter, while you’re cosy inside?” 

“Yeah, you always loved that. It always made you feel relaxed.” 

“Did we fix the hole in the ceiling?” 

“We did, recently. Fuwa came by to help, remember? And you said you were worried he’d bring the whole city down instead.” 

“Ah, of course. It’s nicer now that’s fixed. We should replace the blinds next.” 

Ikazuchi looked back to the small window on the other side of the room, one that used to be covered by old, broken blinds, now replaced by some curtains Horobi had made. 

“I don’t think Sting Scorpion is happy we repaired the hole. He used to fly through that sometimes when we henshined. Well, maybe he jumped. Scorpions don’t fly. Progrise animals sort of can though.” 

“Well… we don’t really have much reason to henshin in here anymore, maybe he won’t notice.” 

“Ah, maybe.” 

Horobi’s blinks were growing slower, and slower, until Ikazuchi gently nudged him. 

“Hey, _please_ try and stay awake. Just for a bit. Jin and Naki will be back soon, and you’ll be able to sleep as long as you want.” 

“Are they out? That’s nice.” 

Ikazuchi took a deep, trembling breath. “Yeah, yeah they are. But they’ll be here soon. They’ll be here before we know it.” 

Horobi didn’t say much more after that. At least, nothing new. A few repeated questions here and there, the occasional thing that Ikazuchi couldn’t make any sense of, but he responded to regardless. But for the most part, they both remained quiet, Ikazuchi gently stroking his hair, and watching his blinks.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again for the prompt, Thorn! I hope this was okay. I really really enjoyed writing delirious Horobi at the end there.


End file.
